Tape printing apparatus are known in for example EP-A-322918 (Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha) and EP-A-267890 (Varitronics). The known tape printing apparatus comprises a cassette receiving bay for receiving a cassette or tape holding case. In EP-A-267890, the tape holding case houses an ink ribbon and a substrate tape, the latter comprising an upper image receiving layer secured to a backing layer by an adhesive. In EP-A-322918, the tape holding case houses an ink ribbon, a transparent image receiving tape and a double-sided adhesive tape which is secured at one of its adhesive coated sides to the image tape after printing and which has a backing layer peelable from its other adhesive coated side. With this tape printing apparatus, the image transfer medium (ink ribbon) and the image receiving tape (substrate) are in the same cassette.
It has also been proposed by the present applicant in, for example EP-A-578372 to house the ink ribbon and the substrate tape in separate cassettes.
In all of these cases, the image receiving tape passes in overlap with an ink ribbon to a printing zone consisting of a print head and a platen which cooperate to cause an image to transfer from the ink ribbon to the image receiving tape. There are many ways in doing this, including dry lettering or dry film impression but the most usual way currently is by thermal printing where the print head is heated and the heat causes ink from the ink ribbon to be transferred to the image receiving tape.
It is also known for the ink ribbon to be omitted and an image to be printed directly on the image receiving tape by heating the print head. This process is called direct thermal printing.
Generally, the tape housed in a cassette is continuous and accordingly known tape printers include a cutter for cutting the tape. With the known arrangements, an image is printed on the tape by the print head and then, downstream of the printing, the tape is cut. The cut tape can then be removed from an exit slot of the tape printer. The images which are printed on the tape have a blank portion, that is a margin. The size of this margin is determined by the configuration of the tape printer. The margin generally cannot be smaller than the distance between the cutter and the print head if reverse feeding of the tape is avoided. Secondly, the margin is such that the minimum label size is generally greater than the distance between the cutter and the exit slot of the tape printer, so that the label can be removed. To minimise this second distance, a so-called spitter mechanism has been proposed where the label is driven out of the tape printer. Such a spitter mechanism whilst being effective does require additional components in order to be implemented.
Known tape printers are often battery powered. It has been proposed that such a tape printer be powered by a plurality of individual batteries accommodated in a battery compartment. It has been proposed that as an alternative to these individual batteries that a battery pack be used. Such a battery pack generally incorporates its own lid for ease of insertion and removal in the tape printer. However, if the user usually uses the battery pack but on occasion wants to use individual batteries, the user may find that he has lost the lid to the battery compartment. This can be inconvenient for the user.
Some known tape printing apparatus are generally designed to be portable so that they can be used in an environment other than at a desk. For example, some tape printers are used by electricians, plumbers or the like. It is therefore not unknown for the tape printing apparatus to be dropped or bumped. It has been proposed to provide a removable rubber cover to protect portions of the tape printing apparatus. Some known versions, of these protective rubber covers, are removable or are stuck or screwed to the housing. In the case of removable covers, they can be difficult to put on and remove and over time, there may be degradation in the elasticity of the cover leading to degradation in the protective performance. In the case where the cover is stuck to the housing, this increases the complexity of the manufacturing process.